Improvement in grinding-mills



W." H. STAR-RY. Grinding Mill Patented Aug. 9;1864;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM l1. STARRY, OF FRANKLIN, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRINDING-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,802, dated August 9,1864; antedated February 28, 1864.

.T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. STARRY, of Franklin, Warren county, Ohio,have invented anew and useful Device to Prevent Grinding-Mills RunningEmpty; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic provision to prevent the frequentdestruction of the grinding-surfaces of niillstones and the burning upof mills, arising from the severe abrasion which takes place betweensaid surfaces while running in the condition technically known as empty,or without grain between them.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent portions of thedisengaging mechanism. Fig. 6 shows a modification of theratchet-movement adapted for a steam-mill.

For convenience of illustration, the hopper A in the drawings is broughtdown to a level with the husk-floor B, but in practice will usually bethe entire height of the husk and hoop above it. Hinged to an inner sideof the hopper is a pedal or trigger, C, which, when the mill is full, orcharged with grain, is held by the momentum of the descending grain tothe horizontal position shown in black. A strap, I), extends from saidtrigger to the outer end of a weighted L- formed lever, E c. This lever,with its accessories, weighing a little less than the loaded trigger anda little more than the unloaded trigger, remains inactive while a fullsupply of grain is passing down the hopper, but the instant that thehopper runs empty falls by the excess of its weight over that of theunloaded tiigger, and acts to stop the mill, as will be presentlyexplained.

'F is a sluice-gate, having a customary rack, G, pinion H, ratchet I,and pawl J. The gate may be elevated by a common spanner, K, fitting onthe arbor L or otherwise, and will be held to its open position by thepawl J, as usual.

The automatic arrest of the grinding action is eii'ected by the above,in connection with the following mechanism.

M m is a lever, whose shorter limb, m, has a rod or finger, N, which, onthe descent of the longer and heavier limb, M, presses under the pawl J,and thus, by releasing the ratchet I, permits the gate to close. Thelong limb of the lever M at has a link, 0, which traverses a verticalguide, I, in the frame, and in its upper position depends from aprojection, Q. The counter-arm e of the lever E is so located relativelyto the link 0 as to push the link off of the projection Q on theliberation and descent of the lever in consequence of the emptying ofthe hopper, as above explained. A slidable counter balance, R, on thelever E 0 enables the apparatus to be adjusted to operate with equalefliciency with light or heavy grain. In like manner, a counter-balance,R, on the lever M enables the momentum of the liberated lever to beadjusted for any weight of gate.

Sis astrap, by means of which the long arm of the lever M on may be.elevated so as to engage its link with the projection Q.

Fig. 6 represents a steam-throttle adapted to operate on my plan,corresponding parts being indicated by like letters.

My method is equally applicable in other forms of uiillsthus it may bemade to opera e a slip-belt, or a clutch, or to unship a sliding pinionupon the spindle through the medium of the common yoke and lover. Ihave, however, preferred to select for illustration a form successfullyusedby me, and by which I am enabled to remove a casualty well known tobe the most destructive of any to the burrs and a frequent causeot'contlagration.

My devicc,being self-acting and certain, supersedes the perpetualvigilance on the part of the miller now necessary.

I claim hereinas new and of my invention- The mode, substantially asdescribed, of

automatically arresting the motion of a grindingmill, when runningempty, by means of the disengaging mechanism 0 D E e M m N Q, or devicessubstantially equivalent.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

VILLIAM II. STARRY.

Witnesses:

GEO. H.1(1vrcnrr, CHARLES L. FISHER.

